Buckle-bar.



'PATENTED DEC. 17 1907.

F. E. FARNHAM] BUCKLE BAR. APPLIOATION FILED APR. 8, 1907.

MTNESSE FRANK E. FARNTIAM, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

BUCKLE-BAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1907.

Application filed April 8. 1907. Serial No. 366.993.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. FARNHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckle Bars, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Like letters indicate like parts.

Figure 1. is an isometric perspective view of the sheet metal blank from which the buckle bar is made. Fig; 2 is an isometric perspective view of said blank after the same as been longitudinally bent into a U-shape. Fig. 3 is an isometric perspective view of said U-shaped piece after it has been formed with two concavo-convex seats or prominences, intermediate its ends, with a central perforation in each of said seats or prominences. Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of a cylindrical prong or wire, tapered at one end and provided with an annular shoulder and a concentric dowel-shaped post or projection at the opposite end. Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of said prong after it has been swaged and thereby formed with a thicker body, a central axial indentation in the end of said dowel-shaped post and with an enlarged portion or knob surrounding said post, the latter having a semi-circular groove diametrically extending across it, but leaving the post in the center thereof. Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of said swaged prong as seen in a position turned 90 from that represented in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is on. an enlarged scale and shows the swaged prong of Fig. 5 in elevation and secured to the U-shaped blank of Fig. 3, by the insertion of the dowel or post of the former through one of the per forations of the latter, the U-shaped blank being shown in cross section on the line x :1: of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is on the same enlarged scale and is like Fig. 7, except that the end of the dowel or post is represented as riveted to secure said pieces together. Fig. 9 is a view in elevation of said U-shaped blank and prong after the same have been so united. Fig. 10 is an isometric perspective view on an enlarged scale of my improved buckle bar complete and ready to be fastened to the frame or ornamental portion of a buckle. Fig. 11 is an end elevation of the same, as seen .on line 2 z of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a detail view on In the manufacture of my improved buckle bar, a sheet of suitable metal is cut into oblong rectangular sections, one of which is designated as A in Fig. 1. The sheet metal section A is formed by a die and plunger into a U-shape, as represented at B- in Fig. 2, so that there is a longitudinal channel a, having a semi-circular bottom (as seen in cross section) extending the entire length of the blank and two straight longitudinal edges m and a. The U-shaped bar B is then subjected to the operation of a die and plunger to form in the bottom of said longitudinal channel or groove two outwardly extending projections C, C, each concavo-convex in cross section and each centrally perforated as seen at b b in Fig. 3. Each projection C is longer than it is wide so that it has an external a pearance of a semi-ellipsoid, the major axis of which is lengthwise of the bar B. As seen from the interior of the groove or channel 5,

the inner surface of each of these projections C forms a concave seat or depression.

The formation of the prongs of the buckle is illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. A cylin- (lrical piece of wire, represented at D in Fig. 4, is made slightly tapering at one end, as seen at c. It has an annular shoulder (1 near the opposite end and an integral post or dowel 6 there, which is axially concentric. By operation of a suitable die and plunger a blow is delivered at the doweled end of the wire D, which results in the slight central indentation of the end of the dowel or post 6 of Fig. 4, as shown atf on an enlarged scale in Fig. 12, and the massing of the metal to form a peculiarly shaped head or knob G, which is in general semi-ellipsoidal in form, having its minor edges concave and its major edges convex, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, respectively, and its inner surface shaped to be complementary to the outer convex surface of the projection C, the post or dowel e,

however, extending as before, in the axial line of the prong. In Fig. 5 the head or knob G is represented in one position and in Fig. 6 the head or knob G is shown as seen when the prong E has been axially turned 90 from the position illustrated in Fig. 5.

In assembling the bar B and the prong E, the dowel or post 6 of said prong is inserted through the hole or aperture 1) of the projection 0 of said bar, as illustrated in Fig. 7, and extends into the channel or groove a. The parts are then su ported in a suitable die, and a plunger stri es the end of the dowel or post and forms a rivet head thereon, the narrow annular flange f (shown in Fig. 12 on an enlarged scale in central longitudinal section of said dowel or post) facilitating the bending over and lateral spread of the upper end thereof. By an examination of Fig. 8, it is seen that the rivet head 6, so formed, lies wholly within the seat or concavity of the projection C and its outer end surface, which in Fig. 7 is seen extending into the groove a of the U-shaped bar B, lies in continuation of the curved bottom surface of said groove. Fig. 9 shows in elevation said bar B with a prong E mounted in one of the seats C.

In Fig. 10 is seen the straight cylindrical bar H, whose ends are flattened, as shown at g, and each flat end 9 has a hole h through it. The U-shaped bar B is mounted on the cylindrical bar H and by means of a die and plunger, or other suitable tool, the U-shaped bar B is bent to form a tubular bar B, exactly but loosely fitting on the bar H so as to be rotatable thereon, and the two straight edges m n of the bar B (Fig. 3) meet and abut in one line as shown in Fig. 11. The prongs E are bent into the angular form E seen in Figs. 10 and 11. The cylindrical bar H is fastened to the frame F of the buckle shown in Fig. 13, by means of rivets 0, which pass through the holes h of the flattened ends it of said bar. The ends F of the prongs E pass through holes in the belt or band, as usual, and rest upon the frame of the buckle. There may be as many or few prongs E as are desired, but two is the preferred number.

By this construction a peculiarly strong buckle fastening is provided, in which the prongs are mounted and secured firmly without the use ofsolder, as in the prior art. Solder is apt to deface the bar and prongs and to draw the temper of the stock. By riveting the ends of the prongs in the concavo-convex seats G, a symmetrical and finished appearance is given to the buckle bar.

I claim as a novel and useful invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a buckle bar, the combination of a tubular bar having on one side thereof a centrally perforated projection, and .a prong having an annular shoulder and a dowel, the latter being inserted through the perforation of said projection and formed with a rivet head at its end in contact with'the inner surface of said projection.

2. In a buckle bar, the combination of a cylindrical bar, a tubular bar rotatably mounted on the cylindrical bar and provided with a perforation through one side thereof and a concave seat concentric with said perforation on the inner surface of the tubular bar, and a prong having a rivet head secured in said seat and provided with a shoulder which bears against the outer surface of the tubular bar adjacent to said perforation.

3. In a buckle bar, the combination of a cylindrical bar H having the perforated flattened ends 9, the tubular bar B mounted rotatably on the bar H and having the centrally perforated semi-ellipsoidal projections C, and the prongs E each provided with a dowelwhose end is formed into a rivet head seated in the concavity of the adjacent semiellipsoid G and alsowith a channeled head G held in contact with the exterior surface of the said semi-ellipsoid by means of said rivet head.

4. The improved blank for a buckle bar herein described, made of sheet metal and U-shaped in cross section, having the straight longitudinal edges m a capable of abuttin in the same straight line when said blank is bent together in a true tubular form, and also provided with concavo convex protuberances G extending outwardly and each having a central perforation Z).

5. The improved prong for a buckle fastening herein described, made of metal and comprising a cylindrical shank E, a diametrically grooved knob or head G, and a central axial dowel 6 whose end has a central depression and a surrounding annular flange In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK E. FARNHAM. 

